Wardrobe Capsule: Transitional Items

I live in an area that experiences all 4 seasons and the weather conditions change drastically within each season. Because of this, transitional items are key in my wardrobe.

Instead of wearing a thick coat, I opted for a felted wool cardigan that's a little lighter but equally warm!

Transitional items would also be great if you live in an area that experiences less change in seasons - a more moderate climate would mean that these ‘transitional’ items would be year-round staples.

I find that dressing for summer and winter is fairly self-explanatory: either you wear breezy one-and-done pieces or bundle up in lot’s of warm layers. It’s the in-between seasons that are harder to dress for and are especially tough when the weather is constantly throwing curveballs.

In this post, I’ll go over what a transitional garment is, how to find a good one and my personal tried-and-trues.

What is a transitional piece?

In essence, a transitional clothing item is a piece that can carry you over during fluctuating temperatures and in between the change of seasons. It works practically (and stylistically) as a transition from let’s say, summer to fall. It helps make your summer clothes easily merge into your fall clothing without having to do a sudden wardrobe re-jig.

How do I find good transitional items?

When shopping for these multi-tacker items, it’s important to consider the cut, colour and practicality.

Colour: For me, colour is super important and can really change an item from screaming spring to being wintery. So when choosing transitional items, I try to pick colours that are season-less. This means they won’t stand out, they’ll simply compliment the items that i’m transitioning into another season. For example, neutrals always work, mauves and cargo greens.

Cut: cuts that layer easily are essential in transitional items. Things like light jackets - I really enjoy duster length styles and cropped styles because longer lengths look great with pants or mini skirts and cropped styles are super flattering with dresses or high-waisted bottoms.

Practicality: Waterproof outer layers are great for spring showers and light and flowy outerwear (which is breezy if it’s hot but still an added layer of warmth). Comfort is also key (so for me, shoes that are easy to walk in for long periods of time).

Transitional staples in my wardrobe

Faux-Leather Moto Jacket

I chose a cropped version in faux-leather (which means its awesomely waterproof)

Coat-igan

The perfect hybrid between a coat and a cardigan, something a little more lightweight but still warm enough to bundle up. Your coat-gan can be worn in the winter over a sweater for added warmth but also as your outerwear layer in the spring!

Midi dress or long sleeve mini

Longer length dresses paired with a denim jacket or long sleeve minis paired with boots are a great in-between option as the weather changes. It keeps either your legs or arms covered but allows the rest to breathe which is perfect.

Slip-on shoes

The easiest way to lighten up your look as it gets warmer is to choose a more open shoe (like a slip-on) versus a boot. Roll up the bottoms of your pants to show a little extra ankle and you’re set for spring!

I hope this post was helpful and let me know what your favourite transitional items are!